


The Worst Lie and The True Ending

by TheAlmightyResonance



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst and Fluff, M/M, Omasai - Freeform, Signs of Depression, Signs of PTSD, basically I hated how V3 ended, don't worry it has a happy ending, main focus is changing the ending, oumasai, so here we are with what I thought would happen, spoilers for the V3 ending and entire game, with some shippy stuff thrown in too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22381657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAlmightyResonance/pseuds/TheAlmightyResonance
Summary: Kokichi had died, emphasis on ‘had’. He had orchestrated his own death after all, yet here he was: alive and without a single injury. He had tried to ruin the game and not just for his own sake but for everyone's. Had his plan…failed?
Relationships: Oma Kokichi & Saihara Shuichi, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 27
Kudos: 294





	1. LIAR

**Author's Note:**

> Did I hate the V3 ending soooo much that I HAD to write a fanfic changing it? Yes! It contains some of my theories of what I thought the ending would be and I still can’t believe how jarring the actual ending/final trial ended up being! You don’t gotta agree with me on that, but like I played the other games too and felt so let down.
> 
> I still love V3, as it has my fav cast (and I actually don’t hate a single character) but I’ll hate that ending the most of all the games/anime. 
> 
> It makes me too sad and queasy to think about Kokichi’s canon death, because I think it might have been the most gruesome. So, in this, while he was still crushed, he had been dead before that part (poison had already killed him by that point, as soon as he laid down, which yes would make Maki the killer but literally no one could have known that anyway and poison is better THAN BEING CRUSHED TO DEATH)

There were memories there that could loosely be grasped onto. Some of those were of his time spent hanging out with Shuichi and also Gonta, and of pulling together pieces of an insane plan to end the game once and for all, and of memories of having to play the villain in order to accomplish such plans. Memories of claiming to be the mastermind, and then acting as such, until Maki and Kaito almost ruined that plan entirely.

But then after saving Kaito’s life with the antidote to the poison running through his veins, Kaito had participated in the plan, and so that meant…

Kokichi had been _crushed._

So then…where was he?

His eyes opened ( _wait, but how can I see if even those had been crushed…_ ), and his vision was blurry. He felt as if he were standing up and felt very stiff, as if he had been in this position for a long time. And when he tried to move his arm forward, it bumped up against something when it went too far forward. So he moved it up closer to himself, and found that he could see his arm and hand clearly.

“…H-Huh?”

So he moved his hand forward again and it pressed against something solid. When he removed it, he found a handprint and could see clearly through it. So he scrubbed away at the screen and saw through it that he was in some kind of white room where there were advanced looking capsules that had foggy screens themselves. Perhaps they contained other people, though most of them were open and empty.

Being the most logical thing to do, he kicked and punched at the screen, well, door, in front of him and shoved it until it ended up lifting upwards, freeing him, and he fell forwards out of it, desperate to just be free.

Splayed out on the floor, he felt like kissing the ground because he was _alive,_ but refrained from doing something as gross as that. But he did sit up and vomit, because he had been crushed still and how could anyone not freak out over that, even if it had been his choice?

Well, the poison had killed him before he felt the sensation of being crushed, but he did have memories of seeing his impending doom slowly descending, and it had been the last thing he had seen. He had heard Kaito’s sobs and then nothing.

 _Silence, finally,_ he had thought.

And now he was here.

_So there had been an audience for the game, and while that game had felt real, it had been just a realistic simulation. But the pain that I had felt from getting strangled, punched, shot, and poisoned had felt like the real deal. I’m going to…strangle whoever the hell is behind this._

He had never killed anyone before, not personally, but right now his hands were twitching, eager to wrap around the mastermind’s neck and either twist or snap it. He wanted it so badly that he could hardly focus on anything else.

Finished vomiting for the moment, he stood up on his feet shakily, and stubbornly didn’t allow himself to fall despite the world feeling as if it were swirling. There was a door open down the hallway, past all the other capsules, so he staggered that way, hands at the ready.

And through the doorway, he saw a white cafeteria of some kind, full of murderers and victims that had all been dead, wearing the same clothes he had gotten so used to seeing in the game. But now it felt hard to breathe, and the world seemed to blur, so he staggered over to the closest empty table and the world and noise around him seemed so distorted.

He heard his name more than once, maybe, but had to press his head against the table and just breathe for a few minutes with his heartbeat hammering away in his chest.

So his deduction had been right: the game had been a simulation. That didn’t make it any easier to see the faces of those that had been deceased. Or the idea that they had been forced into a game that they couldn’t run away from. There had been no true way out, or end of the world, and most of what Kokichi had ‘discovered’ had been false. Except for the idea that they had all been watched for someone’s entertainment. God, he felt so sick even thinking about that.

“…Kokichi?”

“H-Hey, Kokichi?”

“Snap out of it you little degenerate!”

“Tenko, he just woke up so be a little bit more considerate.”

“Considerate? You _killed me_ you creepy freakazoid incel!”

“Gonta thinks that we should all calm down.”

“If Kokichi is here then Atua says that he wasn’t the mastermind after all.”

“No shit, Sherlock! No way could that twink have been the mastermind, even if he did end up getting me killed! And well, something like that takes balls!”

“…But Miu, you kept saying he was definitely the mastermind.”

“Y-Yeah? S-So? Everyone else except dumbass Gonta thought that too!”

Kokichi slowly raised his head, feeling a bit clearer after resting it for a bit. And he found that everyone was either sitting at his table or standing near it. All the victims and murderers were keeping their distance from each other, though Miu was sitting across from him and looking very nervous. Gonta was sitting next to him and looked concerned of all things, despite what had happened.

“Kokichi, how did you die?” Kirumi asked.

Everyone went silent and stared openly at Kokichi, waiting for him to say something. But…how could he? Even thinking about his death…

He rested his head back on the table and folded his arms in front of his face, so no one could see his expression.

“Oh…I guess you were murdered, huh?” Kaede said.

“It’s too early to assume that,” said Rantaro.

“…R-Right…”

“If Kokichi not want to talk, then Gonta says not make him,” said Gonta, always so loyal. And that loyalty had turned him into a _murderer._

 _God, I truly wish I_ had _died._

“I simply can’t imagine him being the victim,” Korekiyo said. “Of all of us to have gotten away with murder, he seems like the best bet.”

“You would say that, piece of shit incel degenerate!” exclaimed Tenko.

“Come on Kokichi, say something,” Miu begged. “Snap out of it already! If anyone can work out whatever the fuck is going on then it’s you!”

“Atua agrees!”

“Gonta agrees too! Kokichi is smart! Smarter than Gonta! Gonta not really know what going on!”

Kokichi raised his head again, and there was silence instantly. Maybe it was something in his eyes because everyone looked chilled to the bone. “You all…want to know what happened?”

There were nods, some were more hesitant than others. But everyone wanted to know the truth: his ultimate truth. And this time the lies weren’t seeping in, because why lie and mess around if they weren’t in the game anymore? Why even bother. What was the point of anything… No lies, kind or not. Not when he was so exhausted and had survived the impossible.

“Kaito killed me.” Not a lie, and the truth in a sense.

“W-What?! But…”

“No way is that true!”

“Argh you’re just lying again!”

Kokichi sighed, this wasn’t any fun. So he continued on, “I convinced him to kill me to cause an unsolvable murder: mine. Not sure if it worked, but I’m sure it sabotaged someone’s plans or enjoyment. And for that, I’m glad. Fuck them, and fuck that stupid killing game. Fuck all of this.”

There was more silence, probably because Kokichi had never spoken so honestly about his feelings before. No, he had never enjoyed the game. With each murder, he had been hating it even more and more. And when he had figured out more about the game, and the idea that people were watching it for what may have been entertainment purposes, that had just made him feel all the more worse. So of course, he had to devise a plan. Not a way out in the usual sense but…a different kind.

“It was probably a simulation,” Kokichi added. “That whole stupid killing game, but for all of us it had felt real. And those behind this deserve to die.” Killing had never seemed like the right thing to do, back when he had been running DICE, but right now he was really at a breaking point. They could all enter the game again, or others could. The killing game would never end. “And even if Shuichi gets to the end of it, like I think he will, then would it matter? Because none of it was real. Maybe he would be trapped there and forced into another game.”

“Like I was,” said Rantaro. “I survived the last killing game, though I don’t have enough memories of it to describe it or who else had been in it.”

Kokichi stared at him for a moment, analysing him. “Maybe we’ve all continuously played this same game. Each time, there’s different survivors. Maybe the mastermind changes too, and those stupid flashlights probably change memories.”

“Yes, because Gonta saw world ended. But world ok,” Gonta agreed.

“Well _might_ be ok, because none of us have been able to go outside or leave this general area,” said Ryoma. “There’s this room, the sealed capsule room, and two bathrooms for the girls and boys. But there’s a door that won’t open.”

“And the capsule room seals every time someone new walks into this one,” Kirumi said.

Kokichi looked around, and it was true that the capsule room door had been sealed. So there was no going back. But why was that? Well, there was an obvious answer to that. “How long does it take for someone else to arrive here?” he asked.

“Time passes differently in the game,” Ryoma said. “Some of us have been here for hours, and others for minutes. You took the longest to get here. Whatever you were doing, it must have taken a sweet amount of time.”

“Kaito will be here soon, since I have a feeling that Shuichi will discover the truth,” Kokichi said. “So I think we should all go near the capsule door and then enter when it opens. The mastermind is in one of those capsules.”

“Wait, how do you know he won’t get away with it? You said your murder was unsolvable?” asked Miu.

“I believe in Shuichi’s detective skills. As much as I wish my murder couldn’t have been solved, Kaito is the type to put his friends before himself. Even with my instructions and script he wouldn’t be able to risk them all dying.”

With that reasoning, everyone was convinced, and Kokichi led them all to the door in question. And just as he had said, minutes later, it opened, and Kaito was about to stumble out, but everyone forced their way in, though Gonta did grab Kaito and stop him from being trampled.

“W-What? The hell is going on?” Kaito asked, supported by Gonta and looking very sick and sweaty.

“Game was a simulation,” Kokichi quickly told him.

“O-Ohhh… Ah, your plan…”

“Didn’t work? Yeah, I know. We both know how Shuichi is.”

Kaito smiled, though it was strained, probably from how weak he felt and all the trauma he had endured. And everyone already knew all too well the feeling. “We certainly do. I hope everyone still in there is ok, and it’s nice to know that it wasn’t real. Uh, but where even are we?”

Kokichi gestured at all the capsules, and everyone was scattered around inspecting them, especially the unopened ones. “Hell, probably.”

“R-Right… Uhh, I’m uhh, sorry about…well, you know.”

“I wanted to be killed, so, no big deal.”

“No big deal? But even the way you died was…”

Kokichi sighed and then glared at him. “Seriously, I don’t hold it against you. It was my plan anyway so I don’t even know why you would feel bad about it. Besides, I was dead before I was crushed to bits and pieces.”

Kaito went even more pale, before leaning over and puking.

“Let’s just focus on figuring out the mastermind,” Kokichi said coldly, though he did know how Kaito felt. “Not about any baggage. Not right now. We have to stay focused.”

“Woah, never thought I’d see the day when you’re taking charge,” Kaede said, joining the conversation. “Oh, but I wanted to ask you about Shuichi. Was he…ok in the game, after my death?”

“Sure, as fine as someone trapped within a killing game can be. I think he’ll win or whatever, as if that even matters all things considered. I wanted to stop the game, but if he makes it to the end then I guess that’s ok too,” Kokichi told her.

“It’s sweet that you believe in him, because I believe in him too,” said Kaede.

It felt sickening for Kaede to try and relate with him.

“Yeah, well, making it to the end of the game doesn’t matter if it resets anyway. Maybe we’ve all done this game hundreds of times. Seems that way, with Rantaro being a key witness. But we need more evidence.”

“You sound a little bit like Shuichi…”

_Yeah, definitely hung out with him way too much in the game, though it was usually him that sought me out. The guy was the most useful person in trials and investigations too. That’s why he’ll win. But winning doesn’t seem worth it._

“Let’s just focus on the capsules,” Kokichi said, not wanting to talk to her anymore. It was easier to just be obnoxious and piss people off so they wouldn’t bug him but he didn’t have the energy for that right now.

He went off and looked for himself and found that Shuichi, Himiko, Maki, and Tsumugi were left.

There were TVs above the capsules, which seemed out of place. But probably placed there for a reason. For now they were unimportant. 

“I doubt it’s Shuichi,” Kokichi said out loud.

“Yeah,” Kaito said from across the room, “since even Monokuma couldn’t figure the identity of the person who had been killed by the press, then it wouldn’t be Shuichi. Not only because I believe in him, but because he definitely figured it out when the mastermind probably had no idea.”

“What, even Monokuma didn’t figure out your death?” Tenko asked Kokichi, and others were looking at him for an answer too.

“He had no way to see what was happening. There were no cameras except one Kaito and I used on purpose to be a piece of confusing evidence for the trial.”

“No doubt that you used my bombs!” Miu said. “I did wonder what you were planning to do with them.”

“If only you had been there, it had been quite the show,” Kokichi agreed. “I pretended to be the mastermind, and really sold that idea. I think I really pissed off the real one.”

“Fuck yeah! I hope that little punk ass bitch behind this pissed themselves!”

“Keebo is certainly suspicious,” Korekiyo said thoughtfully, scanning the room with his eyes. “He’s not in any of the capsules here…”

“I think he was a plant,” Kokichi said.

Miu nodded. “I loved the guy but like, some of his tech was hella sketchy. Being able to record our voices and print out photographs seemed fucking odd. Hell, was that why you were always a bitch to him?”

Kokichi nodded. “Well, yeah, I suspected something was up with him. Didn’t like being around him unless it was to mess with him. Plus he didn’t even have much of a talent for just being a robot and existing. I don’t think he was the mastermind, though. He was more sassy than a liar. I’m not even sure if he could tell a lie.”

“Well I don’t believe that Himiko is the mastermind!” Tenko said. “I believe in her!”

“She’s more suspicious than Shuichi and Keebo so I won’t rule her out just yet,” Kokichi replied. “And then that leaves Maki and Tsumugi. I doubt it’s Maki, due to her involvement in my death, because I don’t believe that the mastermind would care so deeply about anyone and she really did try her best to save Kaito. She was clearly in love with Kaito, so I think that Himiko and Tsumugi are more suspicious out of everyone left.”

“I don’t want to suspect anyone but I don’t think it would be Tsumugi,” Kaede said.

“Well it’s not Himiko!” Tenko shot back aggressively.

Kokichi looked at the two capsules, trying to decide who seemed more likely. Who would make the most sense, all things considered? Himiko clearly had been troubled over both Angie’s and Tenko’s deaths and it had almost broken her for good. Such a thing was hard to fake but even Kokichi couldn’t figure out everyone’s lies.

Then there was Tsumugi… Who had she formed a bond with? Everyone had formed a bond with someone, even Kokichi himself had at least had something with Shuichi, though he hated to admit it because he had been trying to distance himself to become the villain to destroy the game. But Shuichi had kept managing to find him during everyone’s free time, and Kokichi hadn’t been able to turn him away. Tsumugi and Kaede had seemed to get along at the beginning, and then Kaede had died, and everyone had moved on. Well, Shuichi had remained hung up over it which was fair but Tsumugi? Had she ever been connected to anyone?

The more he thought about it, the more it started to dawn on him.

“Tsumugi is the mastermind,” Kokichi said.

She had always flown under the radar, because she was weird and lame and plain. And even she had kept on saying ‘plain’ over and over. Kokichi had never paid her much attention, because her references were dumb and she never seemed interesting enough to even mess with. Had others actually liked her? He liked anime to a degree but had never been fascinated with cosplay so of course he had decided that talking to her would have been a waste of time. Maybe he should have tried.

“Do you have any evidence of that?” Kirumi asked.

“Just think about it. The mastermind of any kind of game is meant to be hidden in plain sight. They’re always the person you least suspect, or else they’re doing a shitty job of being the mastermind.”

Rantaro walked over and inspected Tsumugi’s capsule thoughtfully. “Huh…” he said, then nodded. Then he looked to Kokichi and said, “Since we’re all trying to figure this out, then I guess I should tell you that Kaede didn’t kill me in my case. The rest of us already went over this before you and Kaito arrived but Kaede’s shotput missed. When it did, I was struck from behind by someone after I saw Kaede’s shotput drop onto the floor in front of me.”

“That being the mastermind?”

“It seems that way.”

“And considering everyone’s alibies in that first case…”

Rantaro nodded. “It definitely makes Tsumugi all the more suspicious.”

“It’s a shame that you ended up dead first, Rantaro, I would have loved to play the game with you,” Kokichi said.

Rantaro smiled, “Right back at ya. Heard about some of the stuff you did in the game, and now with knowing your intention was to shake it up, I’m disappointed that I couldn’t be there to help. I did try to end it too, after all.”

“Yeah, would have been fun to have had a subordinate.” _And nice to not have been alone for most of the game, even if that had been my intention. But the mystery of Rantaro had helped me figure out more about the game. He definitely had died too early though. Maybe we could have ended the game together._

“So are we all in agreement that the mastermind is Tsumugi?” Ryoma asked.

“I think we’ll have to wait and see,” Kaede said. “It’s too early to decide that.”

_No, it definitely is Tsumugi. I’m so sick of this ‘trusting people you hardly know’ bullshit._

Before they could discuss it more, the TVs above the capsules lit up and on the screen were their friends in yet another class trial. And it seemed like no one else had died. Sound emitted from the TVs as well.

“Huh, seems like they’re trying to uncover the truth of the game,” Rantaro said. “Ruining it, in a way.”

 _I wish I had a brick to smash in Tsumugi’s capsule,_ Kokichi thought, _to make the game end already. Can’t continue if the mastermind is dead in real life after all._

He had never wanted to murder someone before. Or maybe he had but had no memories of it. Oh, right, another thing to figure out was what memories were true or not.

“Hey, Kokichi,” Kaito said, stumbling over with the help of Gonta. “In the class trial about your death they kept mentioning you being a ‘Despair’. You didn’t write anything about that in your script for me so I had no clue what they were talking about. But they seemed so sure that you were one.”

Kokichi shook his head. “Honestly I’m not sure either how they reached that conclusion but with all things considered… Probably a false memory. I probably did piss off the mastermind after all so it wouldn’t be that surprising if they tried pinning something on me. And since they probably offed Rantaro too, then breaking rules of the game themselves isn’t surprising.”

The trial on the TV continued on and everyone stayed mostly quiet while they watched. Previous killing games kept getting mentioned, and so did some girl called Junko, the Future Foundation, and Remnants of Despair. For whatever reason they kept saying that Kokichi had been a Remnant of Despair, but he had never called himself such a thing, or had even heard of them.

Finally, the conclusion was reached that Kokichi had never been one, which duh, of course not. If only he was there with them in that trial to tell them all how stupid they were for thinking that over some false memory. But…he and Gonta had been wrong because of that same reason too.

And then finally, _finally_ the time arrived to accuse someone of being the mastermind. And just as Kokichi had figured out, the accusation fell upon Tsumugi.

“T-Tsumugi? N-No…” Kaede gasped out, stunned over the revelation.

Normally Kokichi would have been inclined to make fun of the shattering reality that truly nobody could be trusted for sure, especially not within a killing game, but he kept quiet. Just like his lack of lies, he lacked being cruel too even if he didn’t care for Kaede.

“It’s hard to believe that the best liar of all had been Tsumugi. Atua and I are disappointed in her,” said Angie, though she seemed a lot less surprised than others. Maybe she had suspected Tsumugi as well as she could be oddly perceptive for a borderline cultist.

“Y-Yeah,” Kaito agreed. “I had hoped that there had never been a mastermind at all but…”

Tsumugi’s reveal of being the mastermind wasn’t the only revelation, because she revealed something else as well:

That every single one of her classmates had been fabricated characters all along, and none of their special talents or memories had been real. And that they had all signed up for this killing game because they had loved the game show ‘Dangan Ronpa’ so much.

A sombre silence filled the capsule room, with the only audible sounds being quickened breaths.

Tsumugi went on and on with her flashy performance, cycling through different outfits and ‘characters’ and making not just everyone still in the game fall into despair, but those that didn’t make it as well.

Many of Kokichi’s classmates dropped to their knees, cried, or simply couldn’t move. And he too had been caught off guard, but then he took in a deep breath and crossed his arms, staring boredly at the screen. Tsumugi really was going all out, and he was actually glad to have not been there, or he may have just strangled her then and there. Well…maybe not. But honestly with how bad his mental state had been then (and even now) even he wasn’t sure what he would have done. Maybe he would have slapped Shuichi and said ‘hey dummy, just get on with the trial already and obliterate her plain boring ass with your detective skills!’

But, if what she was saying was true then Shuichi wasn’t the Ultimate Detective…

Kokichi shook his head and smiled before letting out a laugh. How could anyone be taking the mastermind so seriously? She looked and sounded crazy out of her mind! And all her talk of hope and despair as well didn’t help her case. If anyone was a Remnant of Despair then it was her. Ha, and she had been trying to pin that on Kokichi…

“W-We’re fake?” Kaede asked, kneeling on the floor and holding her face in her hands, tears peering through her fingers onto the floor.

“Not real? But Gonta loves bugs…”

“B-But then who are we?” Miu asked, sobbing.

“Awful people, apparently, if we all signed up for this,” Ryoma said, a dark look in his eyes.

Kokichi looked around at his despairing classmates, caught in Tsumugi’s carefully wound web. She had them all, even their friends still in the game. She truly was a great mastermind and fortunately for her, the Ultimate Supreme Leader wasn’t there to cut through her lies.

And perhaps Kaito noticed that Kokichi was still standing and smiling because he asked, “Kokichi, what do we do?”

More pairs of eyes inquired as well, looking at him for a way to fix all of their pain and misery. Honestly, he wasn’t used to this and it made him a bit uncomfortable.

“You know, every one of you pretty much bad-mouthed him and his actions in the game and now you want his help? That’s a little twisted,” Rantaro said, oddly bitter. “Before he arrived all of you kept saying that he was definitely the mastermind and yet here we all are…”

Kokichi didn’t really mind, and hadn’t expected Rantaro to back him up. Kokichi knew very well that he deserved all the backlash. He had known what would happen and had still took on the role of playing the villain. Their lives had depended on it, not that it had done much good.

So Kokichi merely shrugged and asked, “Oh, what ever should we do? Clearly Tsumugi, the most reliable and most trusted source of information just revealed the truth! And as it turns out: we’re all horrible people! Oh, the despair! Oh, how sad! Boohoo!” He cleared away fake tears before clapping his hands together and making a serious expression. “Seriously, am I meant to be a lie detector for you all? Tsumugi’s a back-stabbing plain ass bitch who is high on despair fumes or whatever the hell. Are you all seriously gonna just keep snivelling and accept her lies?”

As they all processed his words, he looked back at the screen, and it seemed like Keebo was standing up for the others and fighting for the truth, or hope, or something. Though, the truth they had all accepted was that they were fake people. Wow, that’s the dumbest thing ever and would be the worst way to end a killing game… Awful if it were true but Kokichi knew better.

“But Tsumugi said…” Tenko started.

“Oh screw her! Forget all that! Yeah, she might have helped give us false memories but the so called ‘memory’ of us auditioning for a game show is fake as hell too! Just another tool to control Shuichi and the others and manipulate them with! And you can’t just implant someone with information to make them an Ultimate. Miu, why the hell do you know how to invent crazy stuff? And how to invent things based on my plans? Where did I even learn how to plan out such crazy machines to help end the game with? I had to know how beforehand, and no one behind the game would have given me that information.”

“B-But maybe…”

“But nothing! As soon as the game began I thought up designs of weapons to help us all fight and get out of there. Nobody would have implanted those ideas into my head, because it would have threatened the game, and so I’m confident enough to say that I truly am the Ultimate Supreme Leader.”

“…A-And that’s just not some lie?”

“No! And you’re the Ultimate Inventor! And you always have been! You’re not fake, Miu! None of us are! Even if you can be unpleasant and kinda gross to look at sometimes, you really do have a golden brain!”

Miu started blushing, which hadn’t been Kokichi’s desired effect, but whatever. She seemed more confident now at least and she wasn’t the only one. And though Kokichi didn’t want to continue cheering others on (it was so exhausting how did anyone do it), he needed to get his point across.

“Kaede!”

“U-Uhh, yes?”

“If there were a piano in this room right now, then could you say, with confidence, that you could play it easily?”

She nodded and had stopped crying. “Of course I could! I _know_ that I can. I can play really well too, and I don’t think that’s some lie. I feel like it’s the truth!”

Her words spurred on the others, and the hope in the room was building, batting away the despair with ease. And soon no one was crying and everyone was back on their feet.

“I don’t know why we were put in that game, or put through so much trauma, but we will expose the truth,” Kokichi said, pointing at Tsumugi’s capsule. “And Shuichi and the others are going to win, so be ready for when she steps out. Don’t kill her, we might need her as a bargaining chip. I think this thing is way bigger than her.”

They all waited, watching the screen. Eventually the academy got destroyed by Keebo who then exploded to break the barrier of it, and Tsumugi got crushed to death like an insect, just as she deserved. Though Kokichi hated how alike their deaths had been and the fact that he nearly puked, being reminded of his own end. It’s something he was never going to forget.

“It’s so weird that Keebo doesn’t have a capsule,” Kaito said, looking around.

“Troubling, but perhaps his is located somewhere else, if he even has one to begin with,” said Kirumi, thoughtfully.

When Tsumugi’s opened, nobody caught her, and watched as she dropped onto the ground. On the screen, Shuichi, Himiko, and Maki were going on and on about a future that wasn’t even real for them. They truly did think that their victory had led them to be free of the game when they were in fact still trapped within it.

Tsumugi adjusted her glasses and sat on the ground before looking up at everyone whose stares bore down at her, and nobody looked happy in the slightest. Though Kokichi was definitely grinning at her, and he hoped it looked as malicious as he was feeling.

“A-Ah…”

Kokichi coughed, getting everyone’s attention, before twirling a finger in his hair and then saying with the highest tone he could reach, “’The killing game will never end... Never ever! As long as I'm around, it'll never end. It'll repeat over and over and over... Why would I let something this fun ever end? I want to have more fun. As long as it's fun, we have to keep doing it. That's just simple supply and demand. Puhuhuhuhu... Such...despair.’” He smiled, widely, and put a hand over his lips and added. “Was that a good imitation, you boring, plain mastermind? Am I a good enough Junko or what? Ah, but unfortunately I had no trashy outfit with me to pretend to be my beloved… Aww, how sad! But hey, better than your fake ass performance of lying to everyone once again!”

Tsumugi looked around at everyone and then at the ground. When she looked back up, there was a glazy look to her eyes and it seemed like she was being her true self. “But none of it was real! And none of you are real! You were originally so timid, Kokichi, before I gave you your character! You were so cute and lost and completely pathetic! And now look at you, all because of me!”

“Well, maybe you had Shuichi and pals convinced but there’s so many flaws to your statements that it makes me want to go to sleep. Because the thing is, how do you know that you also don’t have false memories? But, I’m not letting you off that easily. I think Junko and all that crap about Hope’s Peak is true, and that you’re just another Junko wannabe. But kinning Junko is so lame these days… So out of season!”

Tsumugi smiled and shook her head. “But you don’t know what was fiction or what was true, do you? There’s no way of telling for sure! None of you can confidently say what was false or not, and everything might be false! But I’ll never tell!”

Kaito cracked his knuckles, though the threat didn’t make her anxious at all. “Oh yeah? What if we torture it out of ya?”

“Go ahead! It won’t do you any good!”

_But the thing is she also didn’t provide evidence of my statements being false… And since I don’t trust her at all I think I’m onto something. DICE are real, I think I feel like that’s true…_

“Argh, you’ve already lost you annoying bitch so just spit it out already!” Miu exclaimed impatiently.

“Yeah, ‘cosplaycat criminal’, just spit it out!” said Tenko.

_Right, she did say that too… Just another thing that makes me trust her even less._

Tsumugi covered her mouth with both hands and giggled obnoxiously, “Puhuhuhuhu…”

“Alright, so plain Jane is a Remnant of Despair,” Kokichi said. “She, or whoever the hell, kidnapped all of us Ultimates and made us play the killing game because Remnants are bland and predictable and literally never change tactics. So we’re probably in their base or something, so of course we’ll take her hostage, though Remnants probably don’t care about leverage but at this point having a hostage just sounds like fun!”

Tsumugi didn’t look so delighted anymore, and just as she opened her mouth Kokichi interrupted, “Or another possibility is that the Future Foundation are behind this! Maybe we were all Remnants of Despair to begin with! Oh, doesn’t that sound fun and exciting? And somehow we’re now all friends! Hooray! And we’ve learnt our lessons and will never kill again because this was a bonding and life-changing experience!”

The TV screens went black, and the three remaining sealed pods opened.

“Oh, did I say too much?”

Kaito caught Maki, Kaede caught Shuichi, and Tenko caught Himiko before any of them could hit the ground. All three of the winners of the game looked ok, and Kokichi didn’t spare them much of a glance. They had to get out of this place, because he was starting to have a sneaking suspicion as to who was behind all of this…

“Nee-heehee… Well, we should be getting out of here now that we have everyone! Uh, but I don’t really want plain old Tsumugi being dragged along. Maybe we should just tie her up and ditch her!” Kokichi suggested, though of course he didn’t mean it. Either they could kill her or bring her as a hostage. But honestly he felt fine with either way.

“Drag her by her extensions, this bitch has got to pay!” Miu said.

“U-Uh, wait a second…”

“Atua is all for killing her. The perfect offering! How divine!” said Angie, and though she was smiling there was a dark look in her eyes.

“I don’t think we should resort to murder,” Kaede said, shaking her head. “Because then we would be no better than her. I know what it’s like to rush to that conclusion and I never want to make that mistake ever again, even if I had failed.”

“You’re right. I don’t think Tsumugi has any control over this place, only the game. Because she’s at our mercy right now and why would anyone allow that? Well, it could just prove how little the real culprits behind this care about her,” said Rantaro thoughtfully.

“Wow! Everyone in the world hates you, Tsumugi, how does it feel?” Kokichi asked with a grin.

She smiled and had that glazed look again. “Oh, everyone’s bullying doesn’t bother me because none of you are real! This is all just fiction!”

Ryoma crossed his arms. “Seems like she’s a lost cause, beyond reason. Maybe one of us could have turned out like her, too. We have no way of knowing.”

Shuichi groaned, drawing everyone’s attention. “W-Where..?”

“Surprise, we’re all alive!” Kokichi cheered, moving over to where Kaede was supporting Shuichi. “Congratulations, I totally didn’t get _crushed to death!_ Nee-heehee. Oh, but was that a lie?”

Shuichi, brows drawn together in utter confusion, stared at Kokichi who was leaning in close. Not too close to be invading personal space but enough that even if Shuichi was having trouble seeing, he’d at least have an easier time seeing who it was.

“…Kokichi?”

“Yup! I’m aliiiiiive! I mean, if you don’t believe it then you can kiss me, but only just this once! And it’d prove that I’m a real boy!”

“Argh, and here he is back to his old self,” Kaito said with a sigh. “And just as we all thought he was going to be a normal person. Ah, but I think I’m relieved.”

Shuichi’s face reddened. “K-Kiss?!”

“AHAHAHA!”

Kaede sighed. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. But we’re all alive Shuichi, and that’s all that matters.”

Himiko, also back to reality, seemed to accept everything sooner. “Oh, so we all got a happy ending and no one died? That’s cool! I guess my magic must have worked, huh?”

“You did this Himiko? Wow, you’re so amazing!” Tenko praised.

Maki simply scrutinised everyone, and was at a loss for words. Her expression was soft though, seeing that Kaito was alive. Of course she held no softness for Kokichi which was fine! It’s not like he was about to be all buddy-buddy with her either.

Shuichi managed to stand on his own two feet, though Kaede kept close by, ready to help him if he needed it. “So…that game was all a lie? And since Tsumugi is here…”

“A huge lie!” Kokichi agreed. “The most worst, most disgusting lie of all! So can we all just focus on getting out of here already? No time to recount it all for the winners! We gotta go!”

Soon, everyone was back into business mode, and everyone headed into the cafeteria, with both Kaito and Maki dragging Tsumugi along between them. There was no way she was going to squirm out of their grip and escape.

Nothing about the cafeteria had changed and there was one door that had never opened. The way out, most likely, so both Gonta and Miu inspected that door, looking for weaknesses. Gonta didn’t seem keen to just try and smash it in, being a self-proclaimed gentlemen and all, but maybe that would be the only way to get out.

As everyone got to work figuring out an escape, Kokichi perched on top of one of the tables and just took a moment to breathe and think. Was it just him, or was the ceiling too low? Was the room getting smaller? Oh, but no one else had said anything so maybe that was just him…

_Ah, I must be traumatised? Haha, how interesting!_

But he didn’t laugh or smile at that thought.

“Hey, Kokichi?”

Kokichi turned, and it was Shuichi who had dared to interrupt his solace! His insolence would be punished! “Yes, sweetie?”

Shuichi went red and then sighed. “I just… It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve seen you and have been able to talk to you normally. Before you went around saying you were the mastermind. I wanted to talk to you back then, and get through to you, but I should have seen that you were just putting up a ploy to end the game. I get that now, so I’m sorry for not trusting you back then. You had always said that you’re a liar, so I’m not sure why we took you so seriously…”

“Don’t worry about it!” Kokichi said, waving a hand. “If I had been trusted, then my plan wouldn’t have worked!” And he failed to mention that his original plan had gone off the rails because of Maki and Kaito to begin with. “It’s not like I expected anyone to see the truth right away, but you worked it out in the end. And my little hints too. And seriously, going through my room? A huge invasion of my privacy!”

This time Shuichi wasn’t moved by his little half-hearted jabs. Instead of taking the bait and reacting to that, he simply just smiled. “I’m glad that everyone is alive, and that Tsumugi lied. If only you had been there at the end…”

“Honestly being dead wasn’t so bad! I would have fallen asleep in that last class trial because of all her boring ass lies! Argh, she truly is a plain mastermind.”

“Yeah, and I heard that you’re a bit of a leader now. Everyone trusts you now.”

Kokichi shook his head. “Oh, that’s not true. Don’t get used to it!”

“All that time, you were just trying to help us… Even now, you’re doing the same thing. I’m glad that everyone can see that now, Kokichi. And that I can as well.” Shuichi sat down on a chair close to the table. He looked exhausted, but everyone else was the same way. “I think I’m going to take a nap for a few minutes… Wake me up when we’re breaking out.”

“Sleep well my sweet prince, nighty-night!”

Kokichi felt like a guard, defending a sleeping prince from a room full of nasty dragons. When anyone tried to approach, he glared at them until they changed their minds and walked away. And for now he simply sat on the table, hearing the breaths of Shuichi as they both took a few minutes to relax. Well, best to enjoy the harmony now before it would be inevitably broken.

And best to not think about Shuichi’s words. They made him feel…odd.

Warm, maybe. Somehow, despite his cold, frozen heart.

Yeah, best not to think about it.


	2. TRUTH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, this is where the plot goes KABOOM. Follows a certain canon, and combines ideas of my own! Hope y’all enjoy! Also, finally did the Love Suite thing in the game (at the time I wrote this chapter) and Kokichi’s was just… So tension-filled and I am floored. And just more fuel for my ship honestly!

When the door finally opened, it wasn’t because of Gonta or Miu, but because of the dozen armoured soldiers that walked through. They all wore black uniforms and were covered head to toe in armour, so their faces couldn’t even be seen. But there was an emblem on their biceps…

 _Hmm, well_ that’s _interesting,_ Kokichi thought.

“Do not resist, or we will use force!” one threatened, holding a taser in one hand and a grenade in the other. But not the kind that was used for a mere explosion.

“Like fuck are we not gonna resist ya puke!” Miu exclaimed.

And then Kokichi’s classmates attacked without holding back. Not the best idea, but Kokichi couldn’t help but smile and watch the fray from the sidelines. By this point Shuichi had awoken and stayed with him, unsure on what to do. Even Kaede was yelling a war cry and flailing her fists like there was no tomorrow.

“If they had been pointing guns at us then I would have been worried,” Kokichi said. “So, they want us alive at least. No one is going to die today, except for them maybe.”

“I doubt a bunch of teenagers can do much, even with Tenko and Gonta on our side. If they are who I think they are then…why are they doing this? Are they the ones behind this?”

The grenades were tossed, emitting a smoke into the room.

Kokichi shrugged, though he already had a few ideas. “Oh, there goes the sleeping gas. Guess I’ll see you on the other side, huh?”

Their classmates were slowing down their assault, breathing in the gas, unable to get away from it as it was like a thick fog in the air, unable to be escaped from. It was pointless to hold their breath, as there was nowhere else to go with the soldiers blocking the only way out.

Kokichi covered his mouth with his scarf and grabbed onto Shuichi’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze. He looked so distraught, looking at their classmates in despair as if they were all about to disappear forever. And with Shuichi having had to accept their false deaths, and then being given the chance to be with everyone once again, it was probably difficult for him to let go and think that everything was going to turn out ok.

“Just don’t let go,” Kokichi said, feeling the claws of sleep grasping onto him. “I won’t vanish if you keep holding on. Logical, right?”

There were tears in Shuichi’s eyes, and he was panicking. But he nodded anyway, not even able to look Kokichi in the eye. At least he held onto Kokichi’s hand tightly.

At least that made this feel all the more real, feeling that pressure. Being alive and able to feel physical sensations. Not being on a slab, about to be crushed.

Well, at least if everyone died in their sleep then this wasn’t the worst way to go. And hey, Shuichi was here too. He’d probably prefer to die alongside someone else, as Shuichi was actually trusted and liked by everyone but… Well, Kokichi decided he could be selfish for the moment.

The last thing Kokichi saw was Shuichi looking back at him, before sleep enveloped him.

*

_"After I said I'd kill you, I was on your mind the whooole time, right? You thought about whether or not I was serious, or why I would say something confusing... Ha, even now! You're concerned about me from the bottom of your heart!"_

_"I stole your heart, so now I'm satisfied! I don't need to steal your life anymore!"_

Kokichi woke up in a sweat, and sat up with a start. Memories of the killing game had seeped into his dreams, oozing around and filling his mind. But memories were useless now, given the situation. Because here he was, trapped in a cell of the looks of it. A white boring cell with no window.

No one else was in here, so he was alone. He was used to this of course. Most of the game had been this way, but that didn’t make this any easier.

There was knocking on the cell wall, and then a voice said, “H-Hey, you awake?”

“Oh, we’re neighbours, Miu!”

Miu laughed, perhaps not having expected that or for it to be him out of everyone.

“Well, I’m glad out of everyone, it’s the fucking purple gremlin that’s my neighbour. The doors for our cells are flimsy, and of course nobody patted down _these puppies._ As if a gorgeous girl like me totally wouldn’t take advantage of the extra storage…”

Kokichi sighed. “Well, for once maybe your cow udders are going to save us. Never thought I’d be saying that.” He really did appreciate Miu sometimes. She was useful, and although she could be an idiot and very annoying (pretty much all the time), there was a part of her that was smart. A mad genius.

Miu laughed again. “Yeah, bet you got something hidden away too.”

Kokichi checked his pockets, but nothing was there. So he checked his sleeves, and patted himself down but couldn’t find anything. And then he went onto his shoes, and there was a hidden compartment around the soles where he found his trusty lock-picking tools. Even if he didn’t have all his memories at least past him had been smart enough to make sure he had them on hand. Had his past self known that something like this might happen?

“Well, time to get to work getting out of this hellhole.”

Both he and Miu were quiet as they both worked away at their cell doors. Taking a wild guess, it was safe to say that Miu had somehow hidden a power tool of some kind in her bra. Honestly he didn’t want to think about that too much. The less anyone had to think about Miu’s breasts the better.

Finally, Kokichi’s cell door opened and not long after so did Miu’s. They both met up in the hallway and got to work unlocking the others, freeing their friends. Finally Kokichi arrived onto the last door and he swung it open with gusto and found Shuichi bundled on the cot in a heap.

“K-Kokichi?”

Kokichi nodded and without much hesitation rushed over and pulled Shuichi onto his feet. Boy did he look like a mess.

“I guess this time I’m the prince, not the other way around. Oh, should we switch talents too? I always wanted to be a detective! Ah, but that was a lie, wasn’t it?”

Shuichi smiled and let Kokichi pull him along to reunite with the others. Then Kokichi practically shoved him into Kaede’s arms and then clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention. The sooner they all got out of here the sooner everyone could start recovering from the game. Kokichi couldn’t stand it if anyone snapped, especially not Shuichi who seemed on the brink of it.

“So, who kidnapped us?” Kokichi asked, as if he were asking a class of children.

“Uh… The Remnants of Despair?” Himiko replied.

“Wrong!”

Tsumugi, sadly freed and with them and not dead, muttered to herself. She looked unhinged. Good for her!

“I saw symbols on the soldiers…” Shuichi said, thoughtfully, sounding distant just as he always did when he was working something out. “I think that the Future Foundation is behind this. They fought against the Remnants of Despair and since the soldiers never harmed us then I have a hunch that it’s them, because why would a Remnant of Despair wear the Future Foundation’s logo, or even wear armour? The Future Foundation are the good guys, or are meant to be, but with everything we’ve been through logically we were manipulated into thinking that. Maybe neither side is good, deep down. It’s easy to get carried away.”

“War changes people,” Korekiyo agreed. “Makes them do unthinkable things. Even if they started off with good intentions it isn’t difficult to veer off into the wrong path. Humanity is flawed after all.”

“Then maybe we were Remnants of Despair originally,” Maki said. She seemed to totally believe it. And then she set her eyes on Kokichi. “Well…maybe just some of us.”

“Of course she means me! I’m weak for my darling Junko after all,” Kokichi said dramatically, “even if I can’t remember her, she is my dearest!”

“I thought that Shuichi was your dearest,” Himiko said. “Wanting to kiss him and all when he woke up.”

Ah, so she had noticed that. “I’m a slut, Himiko, I thought you knew that by now! I can have many loves, like my darling Rantaro! I was so distraught when he fake died that it moved me to tears!”

“Yeah, crocodile tears,” Himiko replied without missing a beat.

Kokichi blew a kiss at Rantaro who acted as if he had caught it, and pressed it to his chest. All without blushing. Yes, Kokichi had been disappointed when he had died. Though he couldn’t see himself dating Rantaro, who was too mellow. Wasn’t really Kokichi’s type. Why date someone who didn’t have hilarious reactions?

“Can we stop all this romantic talk?” Shuichi asked, embarrassed, because he was never not embarrassed. He made it way too easy sometimes!

“Shuichi, darling, how about a four-way with us, Rantaro, and Junko’s corpse? She might be cold but all of us, with our sizzling passion, can keep her warm! Doesn’t that sound grand?”

“STOP DEFILING HER NAME!” Tsumugi screeched, who leapt at Kokichi with sharp nails, who looked like a nightmare ghoul of a woman. He was sure that she had every intent to strangle him, which wouldn’t be the first time a girl had tried to do just that.

But he danced away to the side, and she flew past, tripping over his outstretched leg, and crumpled to the ground like the disaster she was. There she shook and cursed and mumbled about fiction and reality and her love for Junko who had probably not even known she had ever existed. And Junko was long since dead, if the book Shuichi had found in the game had been true.

“Umm, what do we do with her?” Kaede asked.

“Ditch her, she’s useless now. Just baggage,” Kokichi replied with a shrug. “I’m guessing that she was a tool for the Future Foundation so let them deal with her wrath. Let’s just go.”

And go they did, leaving her to howl and sob and sputter all by herself. It would have been sad, if not for the torture she put the rest of them through. And at least she got to live, even if it wasn’t in the fictional world she had created.

Soon they reached an elevator and they rode it up a few floors, as according to it they were at the very bottom. As soon as they stepped out, people in black suits screeched and scattered as if the Remnants of Despairs themselves had resurfaced to kill them all. Well, at least they wouldn’t be in the way.

An alarm went off somewhere, and Kokichi and his classmates continued on cautiously, always on the lookout for soldiers and a possible way out.

Eventually they arrived into a spacious room, where there were large windows, so of course everyone looked out to find the world not ravaged by some apocalypse or meteors, but looking ruined in another way: from human destruction. There were animals and people walking about at least, and not all of them looked well off, so the world wasn’t exactly a happy one.

“This…is reality?” Shuichi asked, standing beside Kokichi.

“This is the ultimate truth: _our truth,_ ” Kokichi confirmed. “That book was right, so the world is either still fighting the Remnants of Despair or trying to recover. If I had to guess then I would say it’s a little of both.”

“I wonder if we have families,” Rantaro said, sounding sad.

 _I don’t, if any of my memories are true. Not that anyone has to know that._ “Maybe.” _Besides, your family doesn’t have to be blood-related…_

Something moving in the city caught Kokichi’s attention, and made him worry just a little bit. But before he could point it out, soldiers poured into the room and this time they definitely had guns. And so everyone put their hands up but weren’t the least bit happy about it.

“We’re going to take you back to your cells and if you keep resisting we will be forced to take action,” a soldier said coldly, not even caring that they were helpless teenagers who definitely weren’t up to anything bad.

“Umm, but why are we being detained?” Angie asked, pressing her hands into a prayer instead of holding her arms up like a reasonable person. “Atua would like to know also, and he’s angry that you keep getting in our way.”

“Just shut the fuck up and cooperate before we shoot you!”

 _Ah, no fun at all._ “Oh, but there’s an issue,” Kokichi said, before putting on a show of bawling, “I wet myself because I’m so afraid of all your tiny dicks and now I can’t move because I’m paralysed from fear!”

None of the soldiers seemed to know how to react to that, and they didn’t have to because that’s when everyone noticed that the room was shaking. It had been for quite some time but the shakes were getting rougher and much more frequent.

“What in the fuck is that?!”

“Oh… My… GOD!”

“It’s a giant fucking Monokuma!”

Kokichi turned and sure enough, there was indeed a giant Monokuma, and as they were a few floors up only the head was in view. And then it reached up and smashed a paw through the window furthest away from Kokichi and his classmates. The paw whacked the soldiers, before receding, and the soldiers that were still conscious fled in terror, probably pissing their pants.

His classmates were quick to back away, but Kokichi stayed put because something about this Monokuma was familiar: and that was the black tear-drop, spray-panted under the Monokuma’s black eye. If not for that then he would have ran too.

“BOSS?!” exclaimed a voice from the Monokuma, amplified by its microphone, but the voice was familiar all the same. Soon, more voices piped up.

“SUPREME LEADER IS THAT YOU?!”

“IT IS HIM! WHAT THE FUCK!”

“WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!”

“I DIDN’T, DUMBASS! WE LITERALLY GOT TOLD TO BREAK HIM OUT AN HOUR AGO!”

“OHHH, MY BAD!”

Kokichi didn’t cry but he felt close to it, because his found-family and totally evil organisation were alive, and piloting a giant Monokuma. He was so proud of them! It wasn’t like it was odd for DICE to steal weapons and repurpose them, but never like this. Unless he had forgotten…

“Kokichi, are these…” Shuichi said before trailing off.

Kokichi nodded. “DICE.”

A paw reached out. “COME ON, GET IN! CLIMB INTO THE EARHOLE! THERE’S SPACE FOR EVERYONE’S NASTY ASSES!”

Kokichi’s classmates looked unsure, but once he and Shuichi went on ahead, they all followed. And were soon in the empty head of the beast, surrounded by Kokichi’s goons who all wore clown masks. Some goons were skinnier and taller than he had remembered them being, but every single one was here and accounted for. And it wasn’t long before Kokichi was forced into a huge cuddle-pile of the century, and he couldn’t keep a smile off of his face and knew he was blushing.

“B-Boss! We missed you!”

“I almost turned vegan when they captured you! VEGAN, BOSS! Can you imagine? That’s how much despair I felt…”

“You say that as if being vegan is a bad thing…”

“Can it! So can we kill your new friends?”

“Why do you ask that every single time boss makes a friend?”

“Umm, that’s what big sisters do, idiot! Oh, but are you dating any? Or all? Or none? Because I’ll totally scare them off and not allow them to defile your innocence!”

“Argh, you’re so creeeepy!”

Kokichi endured the hugs for a bit longer before pushing everyone away, and of course they obeyed. Not because he was their leader, but because they knew that he didn’t really like getting touched. A little bit was fine, but too much was uncomfortable for him.

“I remember you all on a basic level, but the Future Foundation messed with everyone’s memories so I don’t remember everything,” Kokichi said.

“We were warned about that, and at least you kinda know us!”

“Yeah, because our bond is unbreakable!”

“DICE forever, yo!”

“Argh, you’re so laaame!”

“Shut up!”

Kokichi smiled at their antics. Well, this was certainly familiar. Friendly bickering that never turned into an actual brawl, because they all cared about each other. It was nice to be back, and being here felt like _home._ But it was time to get back to business.

“Who sent you?” he asked.

“Former Future Foundation members.”

“Makoto! The Ultimate Luck, basically, or the Ultimate Hope depending on who you ask.”

“A survivor of Junko’s killing game,” Shuichi said, thoughtful.

“Take us to him.”

“Right away, boss!”

*

It felt like a dream, being back with DICE. Though he felt like an outcast from his own family, due to his missing memories. So he sat off to the side, and of course Shuichi sat next to him. Their classmates were getting acquainted with DICE and having a grand old time. The ground shook as the Monokuma walked, but it was easy to get used to. It would have been fun if Kokichi hadn’t been so exhausted and confused about which memory was real or not.

“So, you really do run an evil organisation,” Shuichi said, and he had an amused smile on his face.

“Yeah, I don’t _always lie._ ”

“It’s true, you don’t, and I’m getting better at catching the truth. Soon your lies won’t get in the way anymore.”

“Oh, detective prince, you make me swoon! Your greatest fantasy is to catch me out and make me bare it all! Oh, your desire is plain to see! Soon I’ll be naked before you! Please don’t be so rough with me!”

And, being the desired effect, Shuichi blushed. That was something that was never going to change about him. “H-Hey… It’s weird but there’s something familiar about what you said…”

“Ohoho, so you do have naughty thoughts about me?”

“NOT THAT! The thing about a detective chasing after some thief…”

“Huh, weirdly enough I know what you mean.”

They both pondered on that together, but neither could decide why. But Shuichi, being the Ultimate Detective he was, then asked, “U-Uhh, ever go to the Love Suite? You needed a key and I think Monokuma said it was a place you could have one-night stands and then forget those immediately after. N-Not that I ever went there…”

Kokichi smiled blankly. “Nope! No idea what you’re talking about!” _Not that we even_ did anything _even if that_ did happen.

The discussion dropped there and they didn’t bring it up again.

“Boss! We’ve got an issue!” One of the DICE members cried out, who was manning the controls of the Monokuma.

Kokichi got to his feet and headed over, looking at the monitors that surveyed the ruined world outside. And it looked like the Future Foundation had mobilised armoured cars and what appeared to be tanks, though they looked pretty high-tech and not like the kind used in a war against people. It wouldn’t be a surprise as to what they had been modified to deal with.

“A barricade, huh?” Kokichi said thoughtfully. “We could barge right through but then we might get shot.”

But they didn’t all have to make a decision because outside, a familiar flying object made their choice for them and fired laser beams at the vehicle barricade, blowing them out of the way easily, as if they were toys. It was so cool that Kokichi couldn’t help but cheer, because for once a certain _someone_ wasn’t disappointing him.

And that _someone_ was…

“Keebo?!” Shuichi asked, glancing at the monitors, shock on his face. “He’s ok?”

“He’s beauty, he’s grace, he’ll laser-blast you in the face!” Himiko said, as chipper as everyone else.

And Kokichi had to admit, it was a relief that Keebo was ok. Because it meant that he wasn’t mind-controlled to work against them. Especially now that he could use his weapon-functions. And fly too, which Kokichi had always wanted to witness for himself.

“He’s a heck of a beautiful bastard,” Miu agreed, blushing and practically drooling.

“Hey Miu, did you ever find out if robots have dicks?” Kokichi inquired.

“None of your business, ya lil’ gremlin grape bitch!”

“Huh, guess I’ll ask him when we’re not running away from the government basically.” He didn’t fear anything, not even laser-beams, because Keebo would never be intimidating to him. “That said, let’s go already!”

With a clear path ahead, the Monokuma continued on with Keebo sticking around like a flying mosquito, but the best kind. Whenever another tank or armoured car showed up, he blasted them out the way which definitely wasn’t cool at all or made Kokichi jealous. And he was definitely not going to draw up plans to build a laser-gun, or pass them onto Miu, or use them on the Future Foundation as revenge. No, he would _never_ do anything like that.

An hour passed, and then another. By the time the Monokuma stopped at the outskirts of the city, by a crumbling building that looked to be in the process of being rebuilt, everyone was ready to get out and stretch their legs. So there was a rush to get to the exit, and skim down Monokuma’s arm to get to the ground at the entrance doors of the building. It sported a Hope’s Peak logo above it, which made Kokichi feel very much on guard.

And then the doors opened, and three familiar faces stepped out that they all had never seen in person. A guy with messy brown hair sporting an awkward but happy smile, a guy with blond hair and a stiff expression, and a girl with lavender hair with the same kind of expression.

“Boss, these are the people who helped us bust ya out!” a DICE member said.

“I’m Makoto Naegi, and this is Kyoko Kirigiri, and Byakuya Togami,” the brown-haired guy introduced. “And I’m sure you’re all very confused right now, because you don’t have all your memories due to…what the Future Foundation did to you, but we can help you recover them! We helped a group of Remnants of Despair remember their true selves, though it was through the Future Foundation at that time… But we can do the same thing with you guys, and in a quicker way.”

For some reason all of Kokichi’s classmates turned to Kokichi, looking at him inquiringly. “What?” he asked, uncomfortable.

“…Well, is this tacky-looking virgin lying?” Miu asked. “Because a lot of that shit mentioned in the game was a sack of stinky ass crap!”

“V-Virgin?” Makoto repeated, confused.

Byakuya smiled, though it was brief, and Kyoko hid her own behind a hand.

“I…don’t think he’s lying,” Kokichi said, “but I don’t trust anyone outside of us that were mentioned in that game. Maybe Junko is actually Jesus for all we know?”

Makoto looked like he was going to vomit from that comment. “Umm, she’s definitely not a second Jesus. More like…”

“Satan incarnate,” Byakuya said.

“And very, _very_ dead from the very game she created,” added Kyoko.

“You all survived from that killing game, if it is real,” Shuichi said thoughtfully. “And defeated her, and then…went on to work for the Future Foundation and fight the Remnants of Despair. And then you left? Why would you do that? Why would you help us? Were we…Remnants of Despair?”

Makoto frowned and shook his head. “No, you’re wrong about that last part. You all don’t remember this but all of you were indeed Ultimates, but none of you fell into Junko’s brand of despair. In fact, you all formed together to fight both the Remnants of Despair, and the Future Foundation. Both were corrupt in your minds, and that act of rebellion painted targets on your backs. The Future Foundation branded you all as despairs, and spread lies on social media, even going as far as producing false footage of you guys murdering innocent people. And since there has been a class of Ultimates who actually were Remnants of Despair before, no one questioned it.”

“The Future Foundation, which our group had already left by that time, swooped in once the masses were hunting you, and captured all of you. They held your loved ones hostage and used blackmail to get all of you to turn yourselves in if they couldn’t capture you, and since you all fell into their hands,” Kyoko continued on. “They forced you all into a simulation of Junko’s killing game, and broadcasted it to the masses who felt validated, seeing you all being tortured for their entertainment. And since they thought you all were truly Remnants of Despair, they didn’t feel guilty for loving it. In their eyes, you were all getting what you rightfully deserved.”

“And it served as a reminder to the general public: do not mess with the Future Foundation, because they are the highest form of lawful good in the world,” said Byakuya, who shook his head. “At this point they’re just as bad as Junko, except their message is about hope, but their own brand. Nothing else matters to them, and so people like you end up suffering for it.”

There was silence, and in this silence Kokichi’s classmates all exchanged glances. Nobody smiled or seemed to know what to say, so of course, as always, it fell on Kokichi to break the oppressive atmosphere, “Well, that truly is a fantastic origin story if I’ve ever heard one and so much better than Tsumugi’s version! So, about us getting all our memories back…”

“After Keebo brings back Tsumugi, then we can get to that,” Byakuya said.

And Keebo indeed was off somewhere else, and ok, maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to leave her behind but could anyone be blamed for that? She was pretty awful and nobody actually cared about her anymore. Ok, probably Kaede, but only because Kaede was dumb like that.

“Tsumugi… What was she really?” Kaede asked, predictably worried about someone who shouldn’t matter anymore.

“A pawn,” Kyoko said bluntly. “She actually was a Remnant of Despair, the only true one in your game. She admired Junko and so of course she was the ideal mastermind to the Future Foundation. And yes, she had always been in your class, and had happened to fall for Junko and her brand of despair. But not as deeply as you might think, not until the Future Foundation messed with her memories too. I’m not saying you should forgive her, but you’re not the only ones who were manipulated.”

Kokichi didn’t feel bad at all, but he sighed, because he could just tell that some of the others did. Maki looked as unmoved as ever, so they both had something in common. Kaito, of course, was swaying. Argh, believing in people blindly was boring because of course Tsumugi didn’t deserve it.

“Let’s head inside,” Shuichi said. “No point waiting out here.”

“We’ll take our Monokuma back to the base!” a DICE member told Kokichi, before they all saluted in their own unique ways. He felt a bit sad to see them go, but he knew they could handle themselves. “Once you get back your memories, boss, then swing by! We’ll hold a party!”

“Sounds good! Drive safe! Don’t squash anyone! Nee-heehee…”

Kokichi watched the Monokuma lumber out of sight, though he still felt the ground shaking which was comforting. And found that everyone except Shuichi had headed inside.

“Worried about me?” Kokichi asked.

“U-Uhh, no… You just seemed a bit disappointed is all.”

Kokichi put on a grin. “I’m fine! See! Totally chipper to be here! Without my evil organisation of billions of members!”

“If you say so. Umm, let’s head inside together. At least we’ll finally get our memories back.” He seemed hesitant though. Worried and anxious, which wasn’t rare for him. In the game he had been a mess of anxiety and depression, not that Kokichi wasn’t unfamiliar with that…

“Want to hold hands?” Kokichi asked, swinging back and forth like an excited high school girl confessing to a crush.

Shuichi looked away. “…That was definitely a lie.”

“You got me!”

And then they both looked at each other, and Shuichi looked kind of miserable. Honestly, it was kind of off-putting. Oh, had Shuichi actually wanted to hold hands? Right now? When they weren’t about to possibly die or be tortured? But why? It made sense in a more serious situation because anyone wanted comfort then but right now?

_Why?_

_Why?_

_Why?_

_~~I think I know why.~~ _

_I don’t know why._

Kokichi thrust out a hand to Shuichi. “Well, alright, just this one time! This is so perverted Shuichi, wanting to hold hands is so _leeeeewd,_ oh my gosh…”

“W-Why do you have to make it sound more sexual than it actually is?”

“Sexual? Me? I’m a pure virgin, Shuichi! When you say such things it tarnishes me! And now you’re going to take advantage of me and hold my hand!”

“N-None of what you just said makes any sense! At all!”

Kokichi laughed and waved his hand until Shuichi finally took it, even if hesitantly. And it felt nice, the pressure of another’s hand.

_~~Makes me feel less lonely.~~ _

_Makes me feel weird._

“…I really do hope this doesn’t make me pregnant, because I’m not wearing gloves,” Kokichi said, not able to help himself.

“P-Please, for the love of God or Atua or whatever the hell, stop making this so much weirder than it needs to be. You’re unbelievable!”

“I’m not the one making this weird, you are! Nee-heehee…”

They both walked towards the building, hand-in-hand, ready to face the unknown. Ready to regain all of their lost memories, and ready to face the future itself. But even if they regained what they had lost, the Future Foundation had still made them seem like threats to the general public. This wouldn’t fix that in the slightest. If they hadn’t been moved by their killing game being broadcasted live, then Kokichi had little hope that their minds would be changed so easily. Humanity was awful like that.

When they entered the doors, Kokichi let go of Shuichi’s hand and they both walked down the hallway together. He was fully aware that Shuichi kept sending him questioning looks but honestly was he aware that people would judge him for holding Kokichi’s hand? It was better if Shuichi kept his reputation intact.

To further prove that, Shuichi was pulled into the group when they arrived by Kaito, and they and Maki started talking and being all friendly. Kinda gross, honestly. Kaede joined in and soon Kokichi’s classmates were turned into a gaggle of excited idiots, so hopeful about their joined future. So unaware of the consequences of escaping the Future Foundation—because this was the real world, all of them could actually be killed. No second chances, no resets.

Kokichi stood back and sighed. Well, he didn’t feel up for hinting at that to them. Or ruining their little moment. Man, he was growing soft… No, that wasn’t true. He hadn’t really been able to maintain his usual mask since the game. It had really messed him up, or he could have been a more honest person before the game… No, that didn’t seem right.

Well, once his memories were returned then he wasn’t going to stick around. Better to not outstay his welcome and of course there was DICE to consider. What could they do without their evil leader? They would be totally lost without him!

And what Kokichi had done in the game, even if he had his reasons, were all hard to forgive. Deep down everyone else was probably always thinking about that, and of how badly things had ended for Gonta, all because of Kokichi’s involvement.

_~~Am I just listing reasons to leave?~~ _

_~~Maybe I…want to stay.~~ _

Makoto walked over, and Kokichi could already tell what his deal was. A friendly idiot, the worst type of person.

“Hey, Kokichi, how are you feeling?”

“Great! I’m sooo excited to get my memories back! Then I’ll be back to my plans of taking over the world! So can we just start the process already? I can hardly contain my excitement!” It was hard to force a smile, but he managed it.

And Makoto seemed none the wiser. Assumedly he had probably watched the killing game, and yet he still fell for the false enthusiasm. How many times did Kokichi have to tell people he was a liar before they actually believed him?

“That’s good to hear. The process will be quick, since none of you except Tsumugi are Remnants of Despairs. It’d take her longer to regain her memories, and hopefully her love for Junko won’t remain. It hasn’t always worked perfectly in the past.”

“Well yeah, because Junko is a massive busty hottie, am I right?”

Makoto blanched. “U-Uhh…”

“That was a lie. Or was it?”

“You never could have met her in real life so how would you even know?”

Kokichi shrugged, not feeling the energy to further the conversation. Makoto just didn’t interest him like, _at all._ How did this guy manage to defeat Junko? It’s amazing what idiots could do when they got hooked up on a bit of hope-juice. Argh, and now he couldn’t stop imagining Shuichi turning into a second Makoto. It definitely didn’t suit him. Kind of like how Kaito kept getting Shuichi to ‘believe in his friends’ instead of you know, actually acting like a detective would and use facts and not rely on his emotions. The trials would have gone by quicker if everyone had stopped acting with their hearts instead of their heads.

Kyoko clapped her hands together, getting everyone’s attention. “Everybody, the room where you will all regain your memories is ready. Don’t be afraid, we’ll be watching from the sidelines. All of you will be given a headset to put on and then once everyone is seated and ready, then the process will begin. Please follow me in a single line.”

The line formed without much fuss, with Kaito, ever confident, at the start with Maki behind him. For some reason Shuichi doubled back and joined Kokichi at the back of the line, taking the spot in front of him and turning back a little. “Ready?” Shuichi asked.

“Of course. Anxious, Shuichi? What if you find out you’re actually a serial killer?”

Instead of freaking out, Shuichi laughed. “I hope not, that would make being the Ultimate Detective very awkward.”

“Ohh, then what if I’m the serial killer? Or a thief? Would you chase me and hold me down?”

“W-What?”

“Whoops, just ignore that! That was totally not my fantasy or anything involving specifically you!”

Kaede, who was ahead of Shuichi, turned back and giggled. “You should see your face, Shuichi, you’re like a tomato! It’s so cute!”

“I-I’m not!”

Like a pig in the middle, Kokichi and Kaede teamed up and continued embarrassing Shuichi as they all walked to the room in question. They were the only ones lighting up the mood, but of course even a few jokes couldn’t make anyone less anxious. And finally they entered the room, and everyone took their seats. At least Kokichi’s was next to Shuichi’s, so that was something.

Once everyone placed their headsets on, Shuichi took Kokichi’s hand. Neither of them said anything, but Kokichi squeezed his hand and didn’t let go.

This was it. 

He breathed in deeply.

…Then back out.

And then Kokichi’s world exploded into images so familiar, and voices dear to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …the END. Oops, it was a lie! The final chapter is next up to tie up some loose ends and add some more fluff into this batch! Trust me, this fic is short and just meant to be a better ending than the one we actually got!


	3. AN ENDING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, time to tie everything up nicely!

His memories had all returned to him, slotting into place nicely as if they had always been there. Even he couldn’t detect a single lie about them. The members of DICE, all of which he held so dear to his heart, now had names and he felt attachment for them just like he used to, before being captured by the Future Foundation and being forced to forget. They had made him forget his own family, and that was something he could never stand by.

So DICE, under his order, launched a full-scale assault against the corrupted organisation. They never killed anyone, no, that had never been Kokichi’s style (except himself it seemed…which he never talked about and no one ever brought up). Instead they took over as many Future Foundation devices they could get their hands on, with Miu’s help of course.

Kokichi never directly gave Miu any orders, but did pass on his plans, letting the DICE members be like carrier pigeons. Kokichi would stay in the DICE base, and draw out more and more inventions, and write down his recount of the killing game. He hardly ate, drank, or slept, and poured all his energy into his work. His guilt was catching up to him, and whenever he stopped to take a break he was sure the walls would all close in on him. Better to keep working than have to deal with that.

The other Ultimates were working hard too to bring down the Future Foundation, alongside former Remnants of Despair. Not Tsumugi though, who seemed to permanently be locked up and getting therapy. Pretty much everyone was getting therapy after all the horrors they had been through, but Kokichi refused it. Not right now, when he had so much work to do.

Recently, Miu had managed to hijack the airwaves and broadcast a message from Makoto telling the population the truth about what had been happening, and of how the Future Foundation had been torturing innocent students who had never had anything to do with Junko, or the Remnants of Despair. And while the world wasn’t ready to accept that truth, it’s not as if anyone expected a change in a single day just because of some words.

So Miu helped once again by leaking information she had been able to hack into, and spread it around online. Every time someone deleted it, or tried to cover it up, she would just post even more information and soon people passed it on, saved it, and now it was everywhere.

Miu was undeniably super reliable and useful in this war in so many ways. She even made a lot of Makoto’s friends look like chumps, despite their own special talents. But Miu would always be Miu, with her perverted jokes and mood swings. Still, Kokichi was glad to have her helping their cause.

Kokichi didn’t really keep track of what anyone else was doing, as only Miu was working with his organisation personally, as they had all the stolen tech.

And maybe Kokichi purposely was avoiding finding out everyone’s situation. It had already been a month since everyone had regained their memories, and the killing game felt like it had been so long ago, as if in some other life. There was bound to be people unable to handle the pressure of remembering what had happened in that game. There was bound to be people breaking, and dealing with severe cases of depression.

There was bound to be people like Kokichi, who kept thinking the walls were moving and that the roof would drop any instant now. Right on his head, crushing him into jelly.

He didn’t vomit at the thought, but felt close to it. Ah, so would he always have this trauma? That seemed fair. He kind of deserved to be this messed up anyway, considering all he did. So if he had to be paranoid of walls and roofs for all his life then so be it. These were the consequences of his actions.

A day arrived in which he had no more to write, and all his plans had been passed on. There was nothing more to work on, he had run out of ideas. He passed his account onto Makoto (though he had a version for himself too that didn’t omit anything personal), and along with accounts from his friends, all were put out onto social media.

Kokichi, with nothing more to do, felt like he could finally relax. He went outside in the first time for ages, and at least out here there wasn’t much risk of the sky falling and crushing him to death.

He stood on the balcony of his base, overlooking the crumbling city. Below on the street was an army of re-programed Monokumas, helping to rebuild and guard the base against any Future Foundation attacks. DICE members busied themselves with directing the Monokumas, and some were handing out bottled water and packages of food to anyone who approached, as so many people had become homeless and lost after all the despair. Many people had lost family from the Monokuma attacks too, and had no direction for themselves. DICE took whoever needed help in, and provided them with blankets and a place to stay. Permanent, if anyone was willing enough to join them.

Little by little, the world was changing.

Kokichi sighed and leaned on the balcony. He didn’t want to go down there himself and be recognised. Even wearing a DICE mask wouldn’t help. It sounded like a pain, so he would stay here up in his castle like a good little prince.

And his knight in shining armour turned out to be Shuichi, who Kokichi spotted all the way down on the ground, talking to DICE members. Why was Shuichi here? Shouldn’t he be somewhere else, being a good detective and working with the other Ultimate Detective? It also sounded like a pain to have to run into Shuichi, and Kokichi felt like Himiko.

Unfortunately Shuichi looked up, because the universe hated Kokichi.

_Well, he knows I’m up here, guess it’s time to face the music._

*

“Nee-heehee, welcome to my humble abode, Shuichi!” Kokichi said, as soon as Shuichi stepped out of the elevator. He looked all kinds of surprised by how normal the floor looked. It was boring and bland, not fit for the Ultimate Supreme Leader at all, but that was the point. There was no pictures on the wall, or anything that told of Kokichi’s hobbies, and if anyone broke in then they wouldn’t find anything interesting at all. At least the view was nice.

“It’s…been a long time since we last saw each other,” Shuichi said.

Kokichi and Shuichi stood far apart, and Shuichi’s hands were fidgeting with each other, not sure what else to do.

“It has! I’ve been busy, committing atrocities and all that.”

“Your organisation seems more like a charity at this point than one that commits evil.”

“We’re soooo good at what we do, that no one even realises that we have the world in the palm of our hands!”

Shuichi smiled. “I’m glad that you’re still more or less the same.”

“Well, you know me, I never change!”

There was silence again. And they both didn’t seem to know what to say to each other. What was there to say? It had been a month, and Kokichi hadn’t stuck around after regaining his memories. Even when they had all been regaining consciousness, Kokichi had left as soon as he could.

It’s not like he had remembered anything bad, per se. He had been an orphan, but he had already suspected that in the game. He had been raised in an orphanage, had not had good experiences in foster homes, and then ran away with a few other like-minded orphans to form DICE. There wasn’t much more to it.

Eventually his organisation, as secret as it was, led to him being seen as the Ultimate Supreme Leader, and scouted into a high school with his classmates. But of course the world fell into despair, and he had worked with the other Ultimates to fight the Future Foundation who just ended up creating their own brand of despair, that they labelled as ‘hope’.

He had no reason to stick around his classmates anymore. They weren’t still in the killing game, and their school had been ruined when mankind had fallen into despair. And while he did have Miu working with his organisation, he never interacted with her beyond giving her his plans for new gadgets. There was no reason to interact with the rest of them, especially after all that had happened in the killing game.

But Shuichi, obviously, didn’t seem to see things that way.

“Kaito has been asking about you, you know?” Shuichi said. “As if I would even know how you have been… I have tried to visit you before but…well, a lot of things got in the way.”

“I’m not sure why that idiot would care.”

Shuichi frowned, his concern so clear on his face. “Well, of course he cares. Umm, but how have you been, Kokichi?”

“Peachy! Just peachy!”

“That was a lie, wasn’t it?”

Kokichi sighed, exhausted of this conversation already. But it wasn’t like he had to keep up some kind of act anymore, not being monitored by hidden cameras broadcasting to the entire world. “A lot happened in that game. No one is ‘ok’, are they? And none of us will ever be the same as we once were.”

It wasn’t hard to notice the darkness under Shuichi’s eyes. The signs of someone who had difficulty sleeping. Easy to hide with foundation if one knew how to use it.

“Yeah… We’ve all been having nightmares. Himiko won’t let Tenko or Angie out of her sight most days, and gets upset if they do. Kaito and Maki are joined at the hip, though they argue they never sleep far away from each other. Miu only likes talking to Keebo, and doesn’t seem to want anything to do with the rest of us, but she still helps us out when she can, a lot like you, actually.”

“…” Kokichi said nothing to that, and gestured for Shuichi to go on.

“Gonta has been helping carry equipment around, and it took a while before he could allow himself to be around others again. But he and Makoto have been talking to each other a lot, and it seems like it’s been helping Gonta, bit by bit. Rantaro and Kaede have been working with other Ultimates, who were once Remnants of Despairs. They’ve both been asking about you, too. In fact everyone has, even Maki.

“Ryoma has been working with Makoto’s team, along with Kirumi, though they both don’t ever do assignments together…for obvious reasons. Ryoma seems to be happy, though. As his insight has been helpful to plan strategies against the Future Foundation with minimal casualties. Angie, Tenko, and Himiko have been helping handing out supplies and finding homes for those wandering the streets. Sometimes they rescue people trapped around the city. Korekiyo, who no one seems to trust all too much, has been doing his part from the sidelines by also offering his insight and suggestions on what should be done next. Tsumugi is still having issues, but Kaede’s been visiting her, and I think it’s been helping, but it doesn’t seem like Tsumugi will ever recover and return to whatever her former self was before the game. I think that’s everyone…”

Kokichi took a moment to process everything, before saying, “You left yourself out.”

“Oh! Right! I’ve been working with a team consisting of a girl named Toko, who was a part of Junko’s first killing game, and with Makoto’s sister, Komaru. They’ve been teaching me how to use the Hacking Gun to fight the remaining despair-spreading Monokumas! Honestly, it’s been a scary experience… But kind of cool, too, especially because Komaru had to basically teach herself how to be good with it, and she insists she’s an ordinary girl. Ah, insists on that a bit too much. Toko, though, is someone I think you’d like. Well, ‘like’ in the sense that you’d find a way to have fun talking to her.”

“Bully her, you mean?”

Shuichi shook his head. “I mean, you’d probably try but…she’s a special case. She’s kind of got a split-personality problem, with the problem being that her other personality used to be a serial killer whose targets were only attractive men…”

“Interesting!”

“N-No, not interesting, it’s terrifying! I thought she was going to cut me to pieces when she first appeared! And she might have if Komaru didn’t step in!”

Kokichi smirked, more amused than worried. “I guess she found you to be _very_ attractive!”

“N-No!” Shuichi’s face was red, and he couldn’t hid it, not even under his hands.

“Honestly, Shuichi, I’m not sure what you’re so embarrassed about. You are undeniably attractive, and that isn’t a lie! Honestly, being a detective and all, shouldn’t you have figured that out? You could use it to your advantage and pry information out of criminals with your attractive face!”

Shuichi groaned, even more red than before which hadn’t seemed possible. But after a moment he seemed to calm down, and uncovered his face. With a wavering smile, he stepped closer to Kokichi, who held his own ground, and said, “Would I be able to…pry information out of you as well with my good looks?” The problem was that Shuichi, while he had been trying to be seductive, was way too nervous about his own words.

The other problem was that good looks didn’t work on Kokichi. “Aww, you’re trying to use my own idea against me? That isn’t fair!” So this time he took a step towards Shuichi, who froze up, and was obviously regretting how forward he had tried being. “So, detective, how about you tell me all of your dirty little secrets, or arrest me right here, right now?”

Slowly, Kokichi reached his hands out, and Shuichi didn’t react, so Kokichi rested his hands on the sides of Shuichi’s face, whose skin was going very, _very_ red under his fingers.

“Do you find me attractive, Mr Ultimate Detective?” He asked with a grin.

It felt like the world was spinning when Shuichi squeaked out, “N-No!” Because that ‘no’ had sounded like such an obvious lie. So much so, that it was obvious what Shuichi actually thought, and that seemed worse than a rejection.

Kokichi let go, and didn’t miss the way that Shuichi looked at the receding hands with disappointment.

“Since…when?” Kokichi asked, hardly able to keep the nervousness out of his tone.

“S-Since what?” Shuichi asked back, barely a whisper.

Kokichi stared at him blankly. “Since when have you fallen in love with me?”

“W-Wait just a second! I…”

“And why, more importantly? Or how?”

Shuichi looked ready to run away entirely, but he managed to stay rooted to the spot. And now he was starting to look upset, of all things, as if he was about to cry. And that was something Kokichi didn’t want to ever see.

“In the game?” Kokichi tried asking. “But why would you ever have feelings for me in that mess? What I _did,_ what I _was_ in there…”

“I…loved you,” replied Shuichi, a desperate and guilty tone in his voice. “I still love you. The more time we spent together, the more ridiculous games you made me play with you… I just wanted to know more and more about you, until it was difficult to not think about you. Especially after you hurt your hand with that knife… I couldn’t get you out of my head, but I couldn’t approach you about this either. I was so confused, and upset, and there was just so much going on in the background. And then you said you were the mastermind, and then _you died._ ”

Tears flowed down Shuichi’s face, and he sobbed, but spoke through his words.

“I didn’t know what to do! You revealed yourself to be the mastermind, even if we didn’t know it was a lie at the time, and I felt as if the Kokichi I had thought I had known, had all been one big lie. I thought the guy I had fallen for had just been getting close to me to get information out of me, or something, and hadn’t been playing card games because you actually found me to be interesting enough to spend time with… And then it was revealed that you had been _killed,_ in that press, by Kaito, and had planned your own murder on the fly… And I felt responsible, because I hadn’t trusted you enough to think that of course you couldn’t have truly been the mastermind!

“You were alone, through most of the game, and I said horrible things to you. Whether you think you deserved it or not, even after being told time and time again you were awful, you still tried to end the killing game. You…took your own life just for that. And I wish that things had turned out differently, and that you had made it to the end. You would have been able to discover Tsumugi’s true role if you had stuck around longer. You would have…done a better job than me, and wouldn’t have fallen for her ‘character’ nonsense…”

“Shuichi…”

Kokichi reached out, wrapped his arms around Shuichi, and tugged him close. It felt strange to initiate physical contact with someone else that was of an affectionate nature, but it also felt right for this situation. Plus Shuichi being a bit taller than him was odd, but not unpleasant, especially when Shuichi buried his face into the crook of Kokichi’s neck and cried his pain and sorrow out. Shuichi had been carrying around this despair of his for so long, that he probably hadn’t ever spoken of it or had any kind of release. Bottling up emotions was a dangerous thing, so it was good to just get it all out.

“I don’t blame you for anything, Shuichi. Not a single damn thing. I’m not a good person, and I’m sorry that you had to fall for someone like me. I guess I should have realised it sooner.” Or he had realised it, and hadn’t wanted it to be real. There were far better people in the world that Shuichi could fall for, and it just had to be him.

“I don’t regret falling for you!” Shuichi exclaimed, pulling away slightly so that their gazes locked. “I regret not trying to tell you sooner, and not trying to reach out to you more in the game, just because I was a confused and scared idiot! I should have tried!”

“Well, the game’s over now, so no more tears over the past, ok? If it doesn’t bother me, then please don’t get upset on my behalf or blame yourself. I’m fine with what happened.”

“You shouldn’t be!”

Kokichi sighed, knowing that Shuichi wouldn’t be swayed. His guilt dug too deeply, and Kokichi understood that all too well. “Let’s agree to disagree, and try and move past all of that. What you should be focusing on is the here and now.”

“Ok…”

“You just confessed your undying love for me.”

“I know…”

“And I didn’t reject you.”

Shuichi frowned. “Yet?”

“Actually, I was just thinking, that you and I would make a lovely couple. A detective and a criminal mastermind, pushed together by fate, and madly in love! But their career paths keep them apart, but they adore each other, even with the world trying to pull them apart! And then they lock lips, and kiss passionately, a ‘fuck you’ to the rest of the world!”

“H-Huh?”

Kokichi sighed, yet again. “I’m saying we should _kiss,_ Shuichi. _On the mouth._ You know, like couples do? We may as well seal the deal with a bit of lip and tongue action… Ah, but maybe not any tongue. That seems unsanitary.” The truth being that kissing also seemed unsanitary, because Kokichi had never dated before and just didn’t get what all the fuss was about. But he could see himself kissing Shuichi, and dating him, because Shuichi was pleasant to be around and an interesting person in general. He was so unlike the rest of their classmates, who had all fumbled around through the trials.

“R-Really?” Shuichi squeaked out, not believing his own ears, as if he had been blessed by an angel.

“Really. Now hurry up and kiss me, before I change my mind.”

So Shuichi did, and it wasn’t unpleasant. It was weird, to have a sensation on Kokichi’s lips, but he was sad to find that the kiss didn’t turn him into goo or spark a million fireworks. It was merely a sensation, and Kokichi kissed back because what else was he meant to do? Shuichi seemed pleased, and maybe he was the only one with fireworks going off in his head?

When the kiss ended, Shuichi was back to blushing, and Kokichi didn’t feel much different.

“How was that?” Kokichi asked.

“It was nice!” admitted Shuichi. “Did you…not like it?”

“Honestly the hug did more for me. It felt nice and snug, but if the kiss made you happy then that’s fine with me.”

Shuichi hugged Kokichi, and yes, Kokichi much preferred it. But he wasn’t against any more kissing in the future, even if it didn’t do much for him. He felt warm, in his chest, seeing Shuichi smile so wide and genuinely, and that smile was just for Kokichi.

“So…does this make us boyfriends?” Shuichi asked nervously.

“Duh! That was my first kiss too so you better be the best boyfriend there is!”

“Haha, I’ll try my best, Kokichi.”

The world was still healing, and there was still despair in the world, but Kokichi felt like, for once, that things were going to be ok. Sure, they all still had a long path ahead of them, and had to deal with the Future Foundation who constantly got in their way, but Kokichi felt hope bloom in his heart.

In time his classmates would start recovering too, alongside the world, with their own hope blooming despite all the despair they had been put through. And in time the Future Foundation would be crushed with their combined efforts, and they would all be able to live in peace and be free to live out the rest of their lives together, taking back their high school years that had been stolen from them.

And Kokichi could see himself, standing together and uniting as a powerful force alongside his classmates. And all the while, he could see himself hand in hand with Shuichi.

And that thought alone, gave him the strength to keep moving on, to keep fighting for a better future. To fight for a better ending, than the one that the killing game had tried to give them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo sorry if you expected an entire war section with the Future Foundation but this fic is primarily to change the V3 ending! Hope you enjoyed it, and maybe I'll see you guys in a future DR fic! Maybe a longer one, but no promises!
> 
> This fic was born from the salt that the V3 ending gave me! So I gotta give it some credit!
> 
> A Despair Girls loose rewrite featuring Kokichi and Shuichi would be cool as hell!

**Author's Note:**

> Gimme characters trying to be friends with Kokichi, pleeeease!


End file.
